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GET IT NOWIf I had to pick one favorite sauce, homemade Alfredo sauce would be it, without question. It may not be as popular as, say marinara sauce, but I’m firmly a cream sauce girl when given the choice. And this one? It’s so rich and cheesy, it will make anything you put it on 1000 times better, with instant comfort food factor. Make this easy Alfredo sauce recipe with me, and you might never buy a jar again!
Why You Need My Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Super rich and creamy – This is seriously the best Alfredo sauce I’ve ever had, with the perfect creamy texture and cheesy, garlicky flavor. I promise you, the jarred stuff has nothing on making it from scratch.
- Quick and easy – If you’re unsure about making your own sauces, this is a great one to start with. It’s super simple and takes just 10 minutes.
- Simple, clean ingredients – Just 4 of them, plus S&P. And unlike most Alfredo sauce recipes as well as store-bought versions, mine has no flour, starches, or other thickeners. It’s naturally thickened by reducing and melting in the parmesan!
- Versatile – Of course you can toss it with your favorite pasta (or zucchini noodles if you’re like me), but there are so many more ways to enjoy this sauce! I have a whole list of ideas below. I even included it in my second cookbook just so I could add it to other dishes in the book.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best Alfredo sauce ingredients, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Not only is this the star flavor, it also thickens the Alfredo sauce without a flour roux or cornstarch! I prefer freshly grated parm, as it melts more smoothly than the kind from the green can. Shredded parm should also work, but might take longer to melt. As an alternative, cream cheese can act as a thickener, but the flavor is completely different, so I don’t really recommend it unless you want a tangier cream sauce.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor. But if you’re in a rush, a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic or 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder will work.
- Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce creamy, of course. Sometimes this is called heavy whipping cream on the carton. I don’t recommend regular milk or almond milk for my homemade Alfredo sauce recipe, as the final sauce will be too thin.
- Butter – I use this brand. Any kind is fine, but go for unsalted so you can adjust the salt better separately.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Yes, I forgot them in the ingredient picture below, but I bet you know what they look like. 😉 If you don’t like specks of black pepper in your sauce, use white pepper instead.
- Nutmeg – This is a common spice in Alfredo sauce and I like a little bit in mine, but you can leave it out if you’re not a fan.
How To Make Alfredo Sauce
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Saute the garlic. Melt butter in a large saucepan (or a small pot) over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Reduce the heavy cream. Pour it into the pan, then simmer gently until the amount reduces by about 1/3.
- Thicken with parmesan. Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the parmesan cheese, until smooth and thick.
- Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. You can adjust the spices in your homemade Alfredo sauce to your taste.
My Recipe Tips
- Grab your largest saucepan. The larger your pan, the faster the cream will reduce. You can even use a skillet with tall sides!
- Be careful not to scorch the cream. You want a very gentle simmer, not a boil. Stir often, too, to avoid a film from forming on top.
- Make sure the cheese melts completely. This Alfredo sauce recipe is supposed to be smooth, but it can be lumpy if the cheese doesn’t melt fully.
- How to thicken Alfredo sauce if it’s too thin? Just add more parmesan! The amount in my recipe has the perfect thickness for me, but this will also depend on exactly how much you reduced the cream. It’s easy to add more parm if needed.
- What if it turned out too thick? Just stir in a little more cream until it reaches your desired consistency. Easy.
- Homemade Alfredo sauce thickens as it cools from hot to warm. Keep this in mind when deciding how thick you want it! If you store it in the fridge for later, it can even solidify completely, but will get thinner again when you warm it up.
- Add a little more salt and pepper than you think you need. The flavor will mellow out after mixing the sauce with pasta or vegetables.
- Want to double the recipe? My Alfredo sauce recipe makes 1 1/2 cups (6 servings), but you can easily scale it up by adjusting the number of servings on the recipe card below. Just keep in mind it’ll take longer to reduce the cream and melt in the cheese.
Ways To Use It
To say I love this Alfredo sauce on everything is an understatement! Here are my favorite savory dishes to put it on (or in):
- Pasta – Fettuccine Alfredo is the most classic option, but I actually love it on spaghetti squash noodles, cauliflower gnocchi, and zoodles (in my picture above). If you like a chicken Alfredo meal, I usually add my quick pan seared chicken breast.
- Proteins – Slather it over my healthy baked chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, or even pan seared salmon for a cozy vibe.
- Roasted Veggies – This Alfredo sauce recipe is amazing tossed with roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts, or drizzled over roasted asparagus.
- Casseroles – Swap the sauce in my chicken broccoli casserole with this one.
- Pizza – I love a white pizza! Spread this creamy sauce on your favorite crust with grilled chicken, sauteed spinach, red onions, and fresh or sauteed mushrooms. One of my favorite ways to use it is on a chicken crust pizza!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce (4 Ingredients)
Make my easy homemade Alfredo sauce recipe with 4 simple ingredients, in just 10 minutes! It's rich, creamy, and perfect on pasta or veggies.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the volume is reduced by about 1/3. (Amount of time will vary depending on the size of your saucepan.)
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Reduce the heat to low. Gradually whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Keep whisking over low heat, until smooth.
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Stir in the nutmeg, sea salt, and black pepper, to your taste. If the Alfredo sauce is thicker than you like at this point, you can thin it out with more cream.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the right consistency in your sauce, and how to adjust the thickness if needed.
- Store: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It usually turns solid, but will be normal again wheny ou heat it.
- Reheat: Warm up on the stove over very low heat, stirring often to smooth out lumps and prevent separation. I usually find the sauce is thicker the next day, so you can thin it out with more cream as needed.
- Freeze: You can absolutely freeze my homemade Alfredo sauce, for up to 3 months. Since it doesn’t have starches (or other mystery ingredients), it doesn’t freeze quite as well as the store-bought kind. I recommend thawing it in the fridge overnight, and then whisk when heating. If it still isn’t smooth, blitz it in a blender briefly.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook here.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
338 Comments
Susan G.
0Great recipe! Better than typical Alfredo. I cut recipe in half. I had to sub half-and-half for most of the cream, so kept butter to 1Tbls. Added cayenne instead of nutmeg. It was the best Alfredo I’ve ever had.
Charity Cayton
0What would you recommend that is keto friendly to thicken the sauce if it is too thin for one’s taste? Someone else suggested xanthan gum but I wasn’t sure how much to use per recipe. TIA! (It was good btw, just to thin. I added chicken).
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Charity, The easiest way to thicken it is to add more parmesan. If you do want to use xanthan gum, you can start with a tiny amount, 1/8th of a teaspoon, and incorporate over heat. I just much prefer to thicken naturally with cheese, and it does work if you add the right amount, which can vary depending on how much your cream reduces. Hope this helps!
Angela
0This was a simple recipe. Even I didn’t mess it up! Ha ha. I’ve made it several times and it always comes out great. Thank you.
Nicole
0This is sooooo good! Will definitely make again.
Stephanie Watson
0So yummy! I made this for the chicken alfredo spaghetti squash recipe the other night. I doubled the sauce because I was adding broccoli and my kids were having their with real pasta and they like lots of sauce. I also thinned it out with a 1/2 cup of chicken broth, but I will probably use less next time. This was my kids’ first time with Alfredo as it is a no-no on low fat and too high in points for WW (so glad that I switched to keto!). They gobbled up a huge plate full- whole family was happy!
Leanna
0Loved it! I had it with zucchini noodles, and with sauteed mushrooms and broccoli. It was so yummy, I can’t wait to make it again!
Edelisa
0This was delicious.. thank you
Holly
0This Alfredo sauce was delicious! I served it with chicken breasts and broccoli.
Manaal
0This recipe is must try, its filled with amazing flavors and it is perfect to have it with the 2-ingredient keto pasta
Thank you so much!!
Melanie
0This is so good. Perfect with my chicken tenderloins and zucchini noodles.
Timerie
0This was so freaking good and so easy to make!! My new all time favorite!! Thank you ❤️
Amy Lauterbach
0This is my go to for my Alfredo fix, love it…TKS for sharing this with us
Valerie Pfeifer
0Super easy, the perfect consistency. I am so grateful to have found this. This is the way I will make it from now on. Thank you!
Pam Zimmerman
0Can you make a cream sauce with almond flour? I did tone down on the garlic, and this was fantastic! Even my picky son ate it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you and your son loved this Alfredo sauce, Pam! No, almond flour isn’t suitable to thicken sauces. You can add more cheese if you want this one thicker. Hope this helps!
Crystal
0I have loved alfredo as long as I can remember and definitely have my favorite places to eat it. I’ve never found a jar of alfredo from the store that I could enjoy. When I saw this recipe I was so excited to give it a try and wondered if it would hold up to my alfredo requirements. Just made me a piece of chicken today and decided to give it a try to eat with my chicken. I was massively impressed and would eat this, keto or no keto!!! This will have a permanent fixture in my life!!! This is one of the best alfredo sauces I have EVER eaten and I have ate a lot from a lot of different places!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!!!
Angela
0WOW, WOW, WOW… I am not diabetic but want to cut back on carbs to lose some weight and have been to many sites, bought a few books, and some sauce recipes just don’t taste- well tasty. This sauce is just divine. I could drink it from a dirty shoe it’s so good. I will be making this sauce every week from now on to go with lots of different things. It will be my Dauphinoise sauce, lasagna sauce, cauliflower sauce, you name it. I just had it on a homemade toasted parmesan bread roll with poached eggs and it was better than my local restaurants with Hollandaise sauce so I have now found my new Sunday breakfast/brunch or even a weeknight treat. Thank you and keep the recipes coming xx
tabiya
0Best alfredo sauce EVERR OKAY!! Typically with recipes, I only use them as a base, but with wholesome yum I always follow the EXACT recipe and it comes out perfect. The only difference I did here was substituted regular butter for garlic butter that I get from sam’s club. The nutmeg adds a great flavor!(I also love the nutmeg in your creamed
spinach recipe as well)
Stef
0Absolutely amazing sauce! I added shrimp to it and served it over broccoli. So delicious and I’ll def be making it again! Thanks for the recipe!
Julia Ross
0I know the recipe says grated parmesan, but I just want to clarify: grated or shredded?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Julia, Either works okay, but grated will melt more smoothly and easily. Enjoy.
Steve
0Roughly how much is “nutmeg to taste”? I’ve never used nutmeg before and I have no idea where to start. Couple of tablespoons? a fraction of a teaspoon? I’m willing to give it a try but I don’t want to spend endless nights fiddling with the amount to get something tasty. I just went through that with another recipe and don’t want to do it again. Too many wasted meals. Any advice would be appreciated.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Steve, Literally a pinch. 1/8th of a teaspoon or less. A little goes a long way in this dish.
LeiBei
0So good!!!! The perfect Alfredo Sauce.
Steve
0Thanks! I just made this for dinner and it was great. I also used Fettuccine miracle noodles for the first time so lots of experimenting. I added some fried chicken and had a great meal. I’ll try again tomorrow with shrimp. This is going into my regular dinner menu. I just started keto and this site has been very helpful.
Kelly
0Absolutely amazing Alfredo sauce, to the point where nothing I have tried has compared!
TT
0This sauce was fantastic, thank you!
Nathan Kunkel
0Tastes amazing! Highly recommended. Can’t wait to try more!
Tami Proctor
0Couldn’t be any better!
I used it as a sauce on cube steaks that I had dipped in an egg wash then sprinkled with salt pepper garlic powder And ground up pork rinds. This is the first time I’ve use pork rinds and they taste just like breadcrumbs.
Roxy
0Soooo much better than the jar and so easy to make. My kids love it as well.
Michael L.
0Can I ask, what is the difference between jar and this? I have made this and its great, but Bertoli alfredo sauce is 2 carbs per 1/4 cup serving.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michael, The big difference is in the ingredients. A jar of Alfredo sauce will include starches, gums, and preservatives. These are necessary to keep the jarred sauce from spoiling or separating on the shelf. While not everyone is bothered by these ingredients, I much prefer to use natural ingredients — and homemade tastes so much better than the jarred kind. Give it a try and let me know if you agree!
Bora
0Sooooooo good!!! I added a bit of Italian herbs and my oh my it take one of the best alfredo sauces I’ve ever tasted and to top it off it’s so keto friendly. It tastes good on my broccoli, chicken, and even konica noodles. Definitely making this again. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Renecha
0I highly recommend this Alfredo Sauce. It was easy to make and even my non-keto daughters who ❤️ Alfredo gave it . I doubled the recipe, but next time will probably triple or quadruple. I can see many possibilities for this sauce!
Sharon Stegenga
0I am an Alfredo snob and I loved this! I added 4 tbl whipped cream cheese toy second second batch and it was even better
Thanks so much!
Chuong Dao
0I can’t use parmesan because of its high sodium, what should I replace it with?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Chuong, this might work with nutritional yeast, but I haven’t tried it myself and wouldn’t recommend making a complete substitution.
Jen
0Love it found this today and decided to try it the whole family loved it. I used it on carb free noodles for myself and egg noodles for everyone else big hit! Thank you for another great recipe to make for a delicious and easy dinner.
Mary Jane Augustine
0Your Alfredo sauce is perfect and easy to make. I put the nutmeg in it. it was wonderful. Love your recipes. Thank you!
I already get your emails and notifications. Awesome!
Caroline
0This is how my mom always made alfredo or at least very close. I can’t wait to try it. I do have a question. Can I can it following basic sause canning method without making it non keto. I’m new to keto so do t understand all the ins and outs yet. We are a family of 9 and very busy it would be awesome to be able to have on the shelf for quick dinner.
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Caroline, I’m not sure about that! Some store-bought jarred alfredo sauces don’t have any additional preservatives, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know if you give it a try!
Michele Gey
0This Alfredo sauce was easy & very delicious with shrimp over spaghetti squash
Cherie Barnes
0Just for those who shun their noses at nutmeg: if you know anything about nutmeg in creamed bases such as this, you’ll find that Nutmeg actually accentuates the RICHNESS of your creamed sauces. DON’T BE SO QUICK TO JUDGE BEFORE TRYING! Use a tiny bit (one or two quick shakes) until you taste a slight nutty richness. It’s AWESOME! ❤
Debbie Austin
0Have you ever used heavy cream powder? I would like to try recipes with heavy cream but don’t want to have to waste any.
Jennie
0For recipes that call for heavy whipping cream and so that I don’t waste it I pour them remaining liquid into silicone ice cube trays, then just take the amount I need out of freezer for my next recipe.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debbie, I use heavy cream powder in my homemade white chocolate recipe!
Ann
0This is super!! It was so easy and loved the touch of nutmeg.
Cameron
0Amazing. So easy and so good
Anita
0I messed up! Mine didn’t thicken at all, but it still tasted good. I’ll just have to try again.
Tina Beshears
0FINALLY! Someone who knows how to make real alfredo sauce although I personally would never use nutmeg. I haven’t tried this recipe but I don’t need to since it’s exactly how I make mine and it’s amazing. One thing I suggest doing to change it up a little is to make Carbonara. Saute’ diced pancetta or regular bacon in the pot first then pull out the bacon and continue with the recipe leaving the bacon grease in the pot. Add the bacon back at the end. So yummy!
Laura
0Oh my gosh!! I just made this alfredo sauce. When it was first finished, I tasted it and thought, yeah, ok, it’s alright. I added a little sprinkling of garlic powder to give it a little more punch of flavor and a little extra salt and pepper. But here’s the kicker. I set it off the heat while I made my chicken. In the 10 or 15 minutes that it sat, it really thickened up, which is what I like. But the other thing is that the flavors melded in that time and it was AWESOME!!! Am I at Olive Garden? Incredible! So for me, that’s the key. Just let it sit for a bit. Have mercy…
Joe
0You. Hold. Put this on a chicken breast and it would be heaven
Mike
0Loved it. Delicious. I used Nupasta with it so there were literally no carbs for the pasta. Added broccoli and bacon. Quick, easy and tasty.
Melissa
0I made this last night and it was amazing!! Family loved it! I never knew making this could be so easy!
Rhonda
0Amazing nobody knows it’s low carb either!! Not any left overs for sure!!❤️❤️❤️
Cindy
0How much salt did you guys use in this recipe? I want to make it but I’m afraid I’ll ruin it! Also, did everyone go with six cloves of garlic? I love garlic but I don’t want to be tasting it for days. 🙂 That probably wouldn’t happen since the garlic is cooked, but just wondering how much other people used. Sounds soooo good! Can’t wait to make it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cindy, I recommend using the amounts on the recipe card the first time you make it, then you can adjust for next time. With sea salt, I just add a sprinkle at a time and taste after each addition. The parmesan is salty, so you don’t need much extra salt.
Sylvie
0So delicious! I drenched chicken and broccoli in it. And then I poured it over broccoli slaw. I can definitely see how this could *accidentally* be one serving! I forced myself to step away from it. Excellent simple recipe! Thank you!!!
Jennifer
0OMG it’s incredibly yummy!! Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m on a low carb diet and recently discovered shirataki pasta ,will go perfect with the shirataki fettuccine!!
TT
0This recipe was easy and tasty. I just needed a dash of salt but I think that’s only because of the brand of cheese I chose.
Mary
0How would you determine how much already minced garlic to use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, A clove of garlic is approximately equal to 1/2 tsp minced.